1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal mounting method and a terminal mounting apparatus for mounting press-fit terminals in insulating housings which are layered to constitute an connector used for a wiring harness.
2. Related Art
A motor vehicle has a wiring harness for supplying a power to electrical appliances such as various lamps and motors from a battery. The wiring harness includes a plurality of electrical cables, a plurality of terminals each fitted to an end of each electrical cable, connector housings accommodating the terminals, etc. The connector housings and the terminals constitute connectors, and the wiring harness generally has a plurality of the connectors.
Recently, motor vehicles have an increasing number of on-vehicle electronic components, so that a plurality of sub-harnesses each having a specified function of the electronic components are provided. Thereafter, these sub-harnesses are combined with one another to complete the wiring harness. Therefore, the connection of the electrical cables across the sub-harnesses is complicated, decreasing the workability in the assembling of the wiring harness. This may cause an unreliable quality of the wiring harness.
To enable an easy connection of the electrical cables, it is proposed that insulating housings each having a plurality of press-fit terminals parallel disposed thereon are layered one another to obtain a connector. The insulating housing has a substantially rectangular plate main body and a plurality of terminal insertion channels. Each terminal insertion channel is concave on an upper surface of the plate main body to support the terminal.
Even when the insulating housings receiving the terminals are used, a known press-fitting unit as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H. 10-41041 or No. H. 10-154568 is preferably provided for press-fitting the terminal to the electrical cable.
Before the known press-fitting unit fits the terminal to the electrical cable, preferably, the insulating housing preliminarily receives the terminals. It is desired to mount the terminals in the insulating housing with a reduced expense in time and effort.